The present invention relates to the operation of dual-mode phones, and more particularly, to location discovery in dual-mode phones.
As known to the art dual-mode phones can make and receive calls either through a local Wi-Fi network, or through a cellular network. In an enterprise environment, the enterprise PBX connects to the enterprise Wi-Fi network. In such an environment, dual-mode phones can provide seamless connectivity. When an outside party calls into the enterprise, a mobility controller connected to the PBX forwards the call to the Wi-Fi side of the dual mode phone if it is range, or to the cellular side if the phone if it is not within Wi-Fi range. When the dual-mode phone is out of enterprise Wi-Fi range, outside party calls placed to the enterprise number are re-routed through the cellular network to the dual-mode phone. Such systems provide single-number connectivity to users over wide areas where connectivity is available.
For the enterprise, cost savings are maximized by routing calls through the enterprise Wi-Fi network. The dual-mode phone should turn on Wi-Fi service and register with the enterprise PBX to receive calls via Wi-Fi when in the range of Enterprise Wi-Fi services, whether at the enterprise, or through remote access nodes extending enterprise Wi-Fi service. Unfortunately, for most dual-mode phones, scanning for WI-Fi coverage, particularly when outside of Wi-Fi coverage, represents a significant drain on battery life.
What is needed is a way to better control Wi-Fi scanning in dual-mode phones.